Venetian blind slat attachment



United States Patent 2,804,922 VENETIAN BLIND SLAT ATTACHMENT William James Zanesville, Ohio- Application February 21, 1955, Serial Na. 439,417

3 Claims. (Cl. 160-173) This invention relates to window shades, and more specifically to shades of the Venetian blind type.

One of the primary objects of this invention is toprovide in a Venetian blind means for detachably securing the slats thereof to facilitate the removal and replacement thereof.

A further object of this inventionis to provide means of the type described which are detachably secured to the slats.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means of the type to which reference has been made which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, noncomplex in construction and application, and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of clip means mounted on a Venetian blind slat for releasably securing the slat in the blind, the means being constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the clip means shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken on the horizontal plane of line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of this invention.

Figure 6 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 66 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a clip device for a Venetian blind constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. Reference numeral 10' designates an identical clip except that the elements thereof have been reversed from right to left. The description of one of the clips (10) will find the identical counterparts in the other (10), and for the purpose of difierentiation a prime mark will be assigned to reference numerals of the latter.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawing, the clip 10 is seen to comprise top and bottom plates 12 and 14, respectively, having a substantially rectangular configuration of substantially the same dimensions. Each of the top and bottom plates 12, 14 are provided with aligned transverse slots 16 and 18, respectively, which extend inwardly from adjacent longitudinally extending sides thereof. The adjacent side of the plate 12 is formed with a pair of lips 20 which are curved inwardly toward the plate 14, the lips being disposed on opposite sides of the slot 16.

The opposite longitudinally extending side is recessed at its corners to form a marginal edge portion extending 2,304,9 2 Patented Sept. 3; 195.7

between the ends 22, 24 of the recesses which is rolled to form a hinge barrel 26. I

The bottom plate 14 has its adjacent longitudinally extending side curved inwardly toward the plate 12 to form, a pair of lips 28 disposed one on each side of the slot 18 and which terminate in rolled beads 30.

The opposite longitudinally extending side of the plate 14 is recessed at 32 intermediate the ends to form a'pair; of tabs adjacent each end thereof which are rolled to provide a pair of barrel hinges 34.

The hinge barrel 26 is, interposed between and aligned with the hinge barrels 34, and the barrels 26.and 34 are hingedly connected together by a pintle pin 3.6.

An L- shaped lock lever 38 has its, foot portion 40 pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 42 fixedly secured to the foot portion by conventional means. The leg portion 44 is of such length as to extend across the open end of the slots 16 and18, and the outer side thereof is curved to form a locking flange 45 which extends beneath and engages the lips 28 to hold the latter in overlapped locked position relative to the lips 20 as is shown in Figure 3. Handle means 46 project laterally from the foot portion 40 whereby the lock lever may be moved from its open to its closed position.

A conventional slat 48 is provided with a pair of elongated slots closed at each end, the slots being positioned one adjacent each end of the slat. In the application of this invention, each of the slots must be extended so as to open in a common longitudinally extending side of the slat. Such extended slots are seen at 50 in Figures 1, 2 and 3. After the slots 50 have been extended as described, the slat 48 is engaged between the top and bottom plates 12 and 14 with the slots 16 and 18 thereof aligned with the slots 50. The plates 12 and 14 are moved into closed position and the lever 38 is moved to its locked position, as described above, and in such position the leg portion 44 thereof extends completely across the open ends of the slots 16, 18 and 50. With the lever 38 so positioned the adjusting cords 52 cannot be disengaged from within the named slots.

When it becomes necessary to remove the slat 48 from the blind for dusting or washing, the lever 38 is rotated in the opposite direction to open the entrance to the slots 16, 18 and 50. The slat 48 together with its clip devices 10 may then be separated from the cords 52. If it becomes necessary to replace the slat 48 the clip devices are actuated so as to disengage the lips 28 from the lips 20 by pivoting the plates 12 and 14 away from each other.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 is very similar to that described supra. As in the previous case, a pair of elongated substantially rectangular top and bottom clip plates 60, 62 formed of a resilient metal are provided with pairs of curved overlapping lips 64, 66, respectively, which extend along the marginal edges of a pair of adjacent longitudinal sides of the plates with each of the pairs of lips being disposed one on each side of slots 68 and 70 which extend inwardly from the adjacent longitudinal sides of the plates 60, 62, respectively, intermediate the ends thereof. The longitudinally extending confronting sides of the slots 68, 70 are reverted at 72, 74 to present smooth sides to the cord 76.

The top plate 60 is provided with a hinge barrel 78 intermediate the ends of the other longitudinally extending side of the plate 60 which is interposed between a pair of hinge barrels 80, one being disposed at opposite ends of the other longitudinally extending side of the bottom plate 62. A pintle pin 82 pivotally secures the hinge barrel 78 with the hinge barrels 80.

An L-shaped lever 84 has the leg portion 86 thereof pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 88 while the foot portion 90 thereof is adapted for pivotal movement across and away from the slots 68 and 70. As before, the L- shaped lever 84 is provided with a locking flange 85 which is adapted to engage and extends beneath the lips 66 to hold the latter in overlapped locked position relative to thelips 64 as is shown in Figure 6.

The plates 60, 62 are adapted to engage opposite sides of a Venetian blind slat 92, in the manner described above with the slots 68, 70 aligned with a similar slot 94 formed in the slat 92 and opening into the side 96 thereof.

Lever handle 98 is manually manipulated to extend the foot portion 90 thereof across and away from the aligned slots 68, 70 and 94 to serve the functions described hereinbefore.

Having described and illustrated two embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the same are offered by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. A strengthening and cord retaining attachment for Venetian blind slats of the type having cord slots opening through the side edge thereof, comprising a pair of spaced parallel plates, hinge barrels formed on adjacent edges of said plates, a pintle pin journalled in said hinge barrels pivotally securing said plates together, interengaging lips formed on the adjacent edges of said plate oppositesaid hinge barrels, said plates having slots formed therein opening through the side edges thereof opposite said hinge barrels and adapted to align with the slot in said Venetian blind when said attachment is positioned thereon, and a lever pivotally mounted on one of said plates for movement into position to close said slots in said plates, said lever having means thereon for detachably clamping said lips in engagement.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lever is provided with an upstanding offset handle member for moving said lever.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means on said lever for detachably clamping said lips in engagement comprises an arcuate flange formed along one edge of said lever and adapted to encompass said lips detachably securing said lips together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,292,338 Levy Aug. 4, 1942 2,317,660 Williams Apr. 27, 1943 2,509,677 Edmonds May 30, 1950 2,570,455 Junkunc Oct. 9, 1951 2,687,171 Rosenbaum Aug. 24, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,220 Great Britain 1897 14,109 Great Britain 1898 

